Long Way Round Thursday, May 31 2007
Razzle Dazzle 11:15 am
Having searched Netflix quite often for travel documentaries, I came across Long Way Round, which features my favorite Scot, Ewan McGregor, and his best mate Charley Boorman riding 20,000 miles on some fabulous BMW motorbikes. It’s a 2-disc set and I was glued to the tv for all 7 hours. If you aren’t familiar with the premise here it is:
Setting off in London in April 2004, Ewan and Charley travelled through some of the most beautiful, and at times dangerous, terrain the world has to offer. Crossing over into mainland Europe, they rode through France, Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Siberia, Alaska, Canada before arriving 115 days later at their final destination, New York City, USA.
As I watched, their trip reminded me of all of my travel adventures with Komenka and how, no matter how unfamiliar a different culture may be, the people you meet quite often are just like you–willing to open their homes, share their customs and food, and celebrate life through music and dance–all without sharing the same language. I was lucky enough to travel to France 3 times, Hungary, Bulgaria, and Greece and each time I didn’t want to return to America, the land of strip malls and fast food. It’s nice being able to simplify your life and realize that you don’t really need much else besides good friends, food and shelter.
With that said, I looked up Ewan and Charley’s site because the DVD mentioned that they also produced a book. Well it turns out that the boys are off on another adventure this September called the Long Way Down, from Scotland to South Africa! I cannot wait!